Olivia Joules: a new heroine for the 21st century -- from the bestselling author of Bridget Jones's Diary and The Edge of Reason
Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination
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Amazon Review
Where do you go after Bridget Jones? Creator Helen Fielding's response has been to go somewhere completely different. Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, Fielding's fourth novel, is a spy-thriller whose sassy heroine, the eponymous Joules, doesn't fret about weight gain, laddering her tights or Chardonnay and fags in the manner of her predecessor. Oh no--Olivia, once plain old Rachel Pixley from Worksop, is a self-made, go-getting journalist for the Sunday Times and Elan magazine with, or so her colleagues at the ST maintain, "an overactive imagination" and an impeccable gift for languages. Both of these come in handy when Olivia is despatched to Miami to cover a face-cream launch, meets the enigmatic Pierre Ferramo, an international playboy, and finds herself on the scene of an al-Qaeda bomb attack. (Question: where, exactly, do Elsie and Edward rustle up that tray of tea from?)
Cue meetings with suitably disreputable people (wannabe film stars, Arab carpet vendors, spies, terrorists) in an array of exotic locales (LA, Honduras, Egypt) as Olivia goes on the trail of the terrorists and, utterly implausibly, is recruited to MI6 (they can't get the staff nowadays). A ridiculous plot is not exactly a hanging offence in a spy-thriller, which is probably just as well here. Sadly, for Fielding, however, we do inhabit a post-Austin-Powers universe and Olivia, a walking digest of Susan Jeffers platitudes, is hard to take: seriously or otherwise. None of it is very funny, nor thrilling. Olivia is more Nancy Drew than Modesty Blaise or, crucially, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum.
Still, you can have great fun playing Bond-bingo with the clichés. Family wiped out in freak accident. Tick. Greasy henchmen. Tick. Gadgets. Tick. Charismatic al-Qaeda villain, who to Olivia's amusement, admittedly, really does use the sentences: "It is a great delicacy in our land" and "Evidently, you are connoisseur of great beauty. As am I." (Alas, "I expect you to die, Ms Joules" and "He's inside the belly of that steel beast", do not materialise.) Maybe there's a clue in the title; perhaps the whole shebang is intended to be taken with a huge bag of Saxo. As Scott Rich, the CIA hunk, says to Olivia as the tale closes: "Oh don't be silly, lovey. It's just a figment of your overactive imagination." If only. --Travis Elborough --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Dependably delicious . . . Pitch perfect. ("Newsweek") Itas hard to imagine a more appealing heroine than Olivia. ("San Francisco Chronicle")
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"The problem with you, Olivia, is that you have an overactive I imagination." Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
"The problem with you, Olivia, is that you have an overactive I imagination." Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By bonsabrost
Format:Paperback
I wasn't sure what to expect having read some of the reviews on Fieldings latest book but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It has a heroine who is funny, clumsy, imaginative, intelligent and successful but attracts all the wrong men!!. It's Bridget Jones meets James Bond but with more style and quite addictive. I actually found myself reading this book whenever I could and finished it in a couple of days - in between work.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed Fieldings last book and also spy novels. It's another comical book from Helen Fielding and I look forward to her next.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are expecting to pick up a book that was as funny as Bridget Jones' Diary, then I suggest you look elsewhere. I was expecting this book to be hilarious, but it definately was not.
Olivia is a journalist for a newspaper. When she is sent to Miami to cover a face cream launch, she runs in to someone who she thinks might be dangerous - Pierre Ferramo, an international 'terrorist'. When a boat blowes up, and when things aren't how they seem, Olivia decides to stick around and check things out.
She has bugging devices in her room, someone is following her, someone is against her at the paper, and worst of all she has to cope with the advances of men in every destination!
It gets worse and worse, and towards the end it turns out that some of the main characters who are actually portrayed as evil actually work for MI5, and Olivia was pouring Ferramo's wine into the potted plant for no reason.
Be warned, if you are looking for something belivable, stay away!
Olivia is a journalist for a newspaper. When she is sent to Miami to cover a face cream launch, she runs in to someone who she thinks might be dangerous - Pierre Ferramo, an international 'terrorist'. When a boat blowes up, and when things aren't how they seem, Olivia decides to stick around and check things out.
She has bugging devices in her room, someone is following her, someone is against her at the paper, and worst of all she has to cope with the advances of men in every destination!
It gets worse and worse, and towards the end it turns out that some of the main characters who are actually portrayed as evil actually work for MI5, and Olivia was pouring Ferramo's wine into the potted plant for no reason.
Be warned, if you are looking for something belivable, stay away!
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I actually have to give Mrs Fielding her due credit for this one; she had a tough act to follow after bridget jones and I happen to think everyone was expecting her next book to be another sequel. However, she wrote a book about a curious, calamity journalist, Olivia Joules, who, aided by her overactive imagination and hunger for adventure, becomes an undercover agent unveiling a large al-Qaeda terrorist group. 'Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination', is a quirky, easy -reading, pick-me-up, nothing too intense, exactly what I expected from the author of 'Bridgets Jones's Diary' and I was quite surprised to read one of these reviews suggesting Helen Fielding to be rascist, I perceived the comments made about the sudanese gentleman as a pretty successful attempt at portraying another culture, after all not everyone is british! Thumbs - up Helen for a triumphant effort at breaking away from Bridget...Bridget...what was her name again?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down
Excellent story, both amusing and exciting. Helen Fielding keeps up the excellent standard she set with Bridget Jones. I loved it.
Published 1 month ago by Tillytot
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it!!
Very mad but hilariously funny, this turns into a real page turner quite unexpectedly. I'd recommend the audiobook version which is read wonderfully by actress Rachel Weisz!
Published 8 months ago by Mr. A. Wolden
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chick lit at its best
This book is a return to good Chick Lit. It is easy reading, page turning fun. Whilst you may not have to think hard it does not bore and keeps entertained throughout.
Published 9 months ago by henry
3.0 out of 5 stars
Better than Bridget
Last week I was having real reading trouble. Nothing on my TBR pile (either in paper books or e-books) inspired me, I was tired and run-down with a cold, I had next to no... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Lucybird
2.0 out of 5 stars
Totally mad!
As much as I persisted with this book, it seemed to get more and more ridiculous. I like a bit of escapism but this took it way too far. Read more
Published 15 months ago by G. Catt
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stylish, sexy, comedy spy novel.
A little slow to start when you're not quite sure if Olivia Joules is just one useless journalist. Once she gets going though it becomes a 'can't put down' book with a will that... Read more
Published on 12 April 2011 by Charlotte Stuart-Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected Brilliance!
This book took me on a completely unexpected journey. The author Helen Fielding is of course known for her hugely successful Bridget Jones and I was intrigued to read one of her... Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2010 by Mrs. R Gregerson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Olivia Joules
Helen Fielding is a British author. Olivia Joules is a British journalist. This then, does not explain the many "americanisms" that occur throughout this book. Read more
Published on 3 July 2009 by Cameron Walker
2.0 out of 5 stars
Massively disappointing
Bridget Jones is hilarious because she is so real. People identify with Bridget and you get the sense that Fielding wrote her with real affection. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2008 by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant fun
Loved this... I picked it up thinking great, Helen Fielding - Bridget Jones etc etc... this could not be more different! Gripping, fun and complete escapism just what you need! Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2007 by Furbs
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